Mexico nears electoral reform, opening door to energy bill
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Accused a generation ago of engineering the “perfect dictatorship,” Mexico’s ruling party is now close to agreeing on a plan that could weaken the presidency and strengthen Congress in order to win votes for a major energy refor…
Netanyahu halts plans to build 24,000 more settler homes
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered on Tuesday a reassessment of plans to build nearly 24,000 settler homes, saying he feared an international outcry that would divert attention from Israel’s lobbying against a nuclear deal …
U.S. to name Nigeria’s Boko Haram as terrorist group: sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department will formally designate the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram as a “foreign terrorist organization” on Wednesday, congressional sources and others briefed on the matter said.
China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia elected to U.N. Human Rights Council
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday won three-year seats on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the United Nations’ top rights body, despite concerns about abuses and restrictions on freedoms in all four nation…
Boosted by foreign Shi’ite militia, Assad’s forces advance on Aleppo
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian government forces backed by foreign Shi’ite Muslim militia advanced on rebels in the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, bent on recapturing districts from opposition brigades weakened by infighting, activists said.
China points to social welfare reforms needed for urbanization drive
BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Among the issues China’s top leaders tackled this week as they hammered out their policy roadmap, some may determine whether children attending the likes of the Pengying school in Beijing fulfill their dreams.
Fukushima: now for the tough part
TOKYO (Reuters) – The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant will as early as this week begin removing 400 tonnes of highly irradiated spent fuel in a hugely delicate and unprecedented operation fraught with risk.
Egypt court rules post-Mursi state of emergency ended
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court ruled a three-month state of emergency be lifted on Tuesday, a step that may help the army-backed government restore a semblance of normality after the military ousted President Mohamed Mursi.
Two Americans kidnapped from ship off Nigeria released
ABUJA (Reuters) – Two Americans who were kidnapped from their ship by pirates off the coast of Nigeria last month have been released, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford bobblehead becomes instant collector’s item
TORONTO (Reuters) – Hundreds of people lined up at Toronto City Hall on Tuesday to buy a limited-edition bobblehead doll of embattled Mayor Rob Ford, and by mid-afternoon some were on sale on eBay for more than 10 times their purchase price.
